2006 IN REVIEW
The veteran Spaniard finished in Top 125 of ATP Rankings for second straight year...Posted just one ATP win and one Challenger win before April...Reached QF at ATP stop in Houston, posting wins over Reynolds and Dupuis (l. to Melzer)...Claimed title at Bermuda Challenger (d. Muller)...Reached 2nd RD on clay in Barcelona and grass at Queen’s... Finalist at Challengers at Braunschweig (l. to Hajek) and Vigo (l. Andujar)...Played all four Grand Slams for the first time since 2003, but did not win a match...Fell in 1st RD of final seven ATP events...In September, reached SF at Seville Challenger (l. to Ruiz-Cadenas)...Reached doubles SF at Buenos Aires (w/Martin)...Claimed second career doubles title at Amersfoort (w/Martin)...Won title at Barletta Challenger (w/Ventura).
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1996-Qualified for first ATP stop in Barcelona, defeating former Top 10 E. Sanchez for first ATP victory...Reached first ATP QF in Marbella...1997-Compiled 15-14 record in Challengers, reaching first final in Prague (l. to Portas)... Best ATP showing was QF in Casablanca...1998-Reached SF in Mallorca and QF in five other ATP stops...Won titles at Singapore (d. Marin) Barcelona (d. Andersen) Challengers...1999-Appeared in a career-high three finals, winning first ATP title in Merano (d. Arazi, saving three match points)...Also a finalist in Casablanca (l. to A. Martin) and Kitzbnhel (l. to Costa), where he defeated Top 10 Corretja, Lapentti and local favorite Koubek in succession...Won Barcelona Challenger (d. Sargsian)...2000-Finished with his year-end best ranking (47) and captured second career ATP title in Casablanca (d. Grosjean)...Reached first hard court QF in AMS Cincinnati (d. B. Bryan, Agassi, Philippoussis, l. to Enqvist), first indoor QF in Vienna, and 4th RD at Roland Garros...2001 - Captured third career ATP title in Bogota (d. Chela) and continued clay court success two weeks later with SF run in Buenos Aires...Captured Challenger title in Calgary (d. D. Sanchez in F) and also reached doubles final (w/Lopez)...Reached ATP doubles final in Barcelona (w/Robredo)...2002-Finished in Reached final in St. Poelten (l. to Lapentti)...At US Open, reached 3rd RD for first time with wins over Nieminen and Fish (l. to El Aynaoui)...In doubles, reached third career final in Umag (w/Portas)…2003 – Reached 3rd RD at both Australian Open and Roland Garros…In Melbourne, came back from two sets down for second time in career to defeat Horna in five sets in 1st RD before defeating Chela in 2nd RD (l. to Roddick)…Reached Valencia SF (l. to C. Rochus)… In doubles, reached final in Acapulco (w/Ferrer)...In November, underwent ankle cartilage surgery which kept him out five months…2004 – Reached 2nd RD at three ATP events, including Roland Garros (l. to Moya)…Closed season with back-to-back SFs at Challengers…Was 16-16 in Challengers…In doubles, won title in Casablanca (w/Artoni)…Won Challenger title at Barletta (w/Lopez)…2005 – Complied a 32-18 Challenger record...In January, he broke his right index finger when closing a car door and didn't return until mid-March when he advanced to QF at Salinas Challenger and followed with title at San Luis Potosi Challenger (d. Norman)... Lost in 1st RD after getting wild cards at Valencia (l. to Andreev) and Barcelona (l. to Acasuso)... Qualified for Roland Garros and reached 3rd RD... Posted wins over Armando in five sets and Tipsarevic in four before falling to Moya in five sets... Claimed Barcelona Challenger with win over Portas... Reached doubles SF at Umag (w/Ferrer) and won Seville Challenger title (w/Daniel)...2006 -- Finished in Top 125 ATP Rankings for second straight year...Posted just one ATP win and one Challenger win before April...Reached QF at ATP stop in Houston, posting wins over Reynolds and Dupuis (l. to Melzer)...Claimed title at Bermuda Challenger (d. Muller)...Reached 2nd RD on clay in Barcelona and grass at Queen’s... Finalist at Challengers at Braunschweig (l. to Hajek) and Vigo (l. Andujar)...Played all four Grand Slams for the first time since 2003, but did not win a match...Fell in 1st RD of final seven ATP events...In September, reached SF at Seville Challenger (l. to Ruiz-Cadenas)...Reached doubles SF at Buenos Aires (w/Martin)...Claimed second career doubles title at Amersfoort (w/Martin)...Won title at Barletta Challenger (w/Ventura).
PERSONAL
Full name is Fernando Vicente Fiula...Began playing tennis at age eight...Twin brother, Jose Maria reached a career-high ranking of No. 321 on July 27, 1998...Younger brother Ignacio “Nacho” achieved his first ATP singles ranking in 2005...Considers clay as favorite surface and forehand as best shot...Reached QF of Orange Bowl and champion of Sunshine Cup in 1996...Countryman Carlos Moya is a close friend...Coached by countryman Joaquin Munoz.
